George_Orwell_press_photo“Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer and above all, gambling, filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult…All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them accept longer working hours or shorter rations. And even when they became discontented, as they sometimes did, their discontent led nowhere, because, being without general ideas, they could only focus it on petty specific grievances. The larger evils invariably escaped their notice.”

George Orwell — An excerpt from his novel “1984”.